Boone, Pat

1953 - Married Shirley Lee Foley, daughter of country music great Red Foley and singer Judy Martin, in this year and they had four daughters.

1955 - His version of "Ain't That a Shame" was a huge hit, selling far better than Fats Domino's original version. This set the stage for the early part of Boone's career, which focused on covering R&B songs by black artists for a white market.

1959 - His teen idol popularity in the late 1950s was second only to that of Elvis Presley, and, like Presley, he soon tried his hand at acting. Boone's pictures included Journey to the Center of the Earth alongside Hollywood notable James Mason.

1960 - His family toured as gospel singers and made gospel albums, such as The Pat Boone Family and The Family Who Prays.

1990 - In the early part of this year, he joined Amway and spoke at many motivational seminars. He also became a distributor.

1997 - Released In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, a collection of heavy metal covers revamped to fit his style. To promote the album, he appeared at the American Music Awards in black leather, shocking audiences and losing his respectability among his largest constituency, conservative Christians.

2003 - The Gospel Music Association of Nashville, Tennessee recognized his gospel recording work by inducting him into its Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

2006 - He released Pat Boone R&B Classics - We Are Family, featuring cover versions of 11 R&B hits, including the title track, plus "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "Soul Man," "Get Down Tonight," "A Woman Needs Love," and six other classics.